Throughout their history, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great running backs, and Steelers fans love their running backs. There is a reason the Steelers have been emphasizing the running game in recent years. It is their bread and butter and has often been a catalyst for Steeler teams who have won the Super Bowl. One of those beloved running backs is Willie Parker.
Parker has two rings and played a big part in helping Pittsburgh win two Lombardi trophies due to his playoff and Super Bowl performances. Parker’s playoff record is perfect at 7-0. He rushed for 471 yards and three touchdowns, including a Super Bowl record 75-yard touchdown run in his seven playoff appearances, making him a legend and fan favorite in Pittsburgh.
Recently, Parker sat down with his former coach, Jeff Connors, on The Sports Objective YouTube channel and spoke about how great Steelers fans are.
“Pittsburgh Steelers fans, man, they one of a kind,” said Parker. “They love Steelers football. They make it easy to go play a 1:00 p.m. game at the stadium because they bringing all their energy. Like, soon as you wake up, they’re downstairs in the lobby of the hotel, they on the streets. No matter where you at, you can be in Pittsburgh, you can be at Baltimore, no matter where you at, they there. And they’re gonna be showing their support. They gonna be giving you their energy.”
Steelers fans are rowdy fans and, as a recent study showed, also pretty drunk. While that may be part of the reason much of the fanbase can tailgate at 8:00 a.m. in the bitter cold of December, Steelers fans are just very passionate and care a lot about their team. It’s why the parking lots surrounding Acrisure Stadium are filled by 8:00 a.m. on a Sunday 1:00 p.m. game day.
While Willie Parker is undoubtedly a Steelers’ legend, the back half of his career was not the same as his first. He constantly struggled with injury, and bad offensive line play hurt his ability to generate big plays. Despite this, he still loved playing in Pittsburgh and credited the fanbase for helping him through this tough time and to help him play better.
“It was great playing in front of such a great fanbase,” said Parker. “I think they pushed me more than they ever know by their extra cheers. Even when I wasn’t myself.”
Willie Parker, Franco Harris, and Rocky Bleier are the only Steelers running backs who got consistent playing time to win multiple Super Bowls in the Black and Gold. They are part of a small but special list of Steelers who have had such a big impact on the team. For that reason, the Steelers’ fanbase will always love Parker.
